Why only hot water at night?

duckwatson

Hi Folks,

I have a 2019 TAB 400 with 3020 Alde system.

Got to the campsite yesterday afternoon with all my usual Alde settings (3 weeks ago on another trip all was working fine) but had no hot water until after 9pm or so, and then it was gone again this morning and is still gone this afternoon. Before it became very hot after 9, it was just tepid.

At first I thought it was my night settings, which I used last trip in Maine when I needed some heat at night, but now that is off. It's very hot now on Cape Cod. Day settings are off as well.

Can this have something to do with temp differential? I've only ever had hot water problems in the summer and I have never known why it stopped and restarted again.

I did just try draining the boiler, btw, in case it was an air cushion issue. So far, doesn't seem to have made a difference. And the weird timing of it still make me suspect an Alde system setting.

Anyway, thoughts?

MuttonChops

Have you used the Service Page of the control panel to see what the actual glycol and water temperatures are when your tap water is not getting hot?

duckwatson

Thank you, no. It says 77F for both Glycol and water temp.

duckwatson

So obviously the water is not getting hot enough, but why?

MuttonChops

My first guess is that 77F is near the ambient temperature at your location.

So the Alde is not operating.
Time to confirm the Alde Panel Screen/Settings.
And confirm the Alde Heat Source you have selected is available.

{For example you select Electric . . . but the Alde power cord is unplugged}

Sharon_is_SAM

@duckwatson - the Alde will heat water to a default temperature of 120 F on either 1 KW or 2 KW of 120 shorepower or on LPG.  It will boost to around 145-150 F.  

What power are you using?  

If using LPG is the battery switch turned on?  

Is the thermostat turned down below ambient temp so all the heating power will be spent on heating the water?

Denny16

OK, first, is the hot water selection Icon grayed out (the arrow labeled with shower symbol on control panel.  If it is grayed out, than your time of Day/Night setting has the Shower symbol set to control hot water use, as well as the heat circulation (cabin heat).  Look at your Day setting, and press the shower icon with the ❌ over the shower head symbol, this will deactivate time of use limit, and should allow you to turn hot water back on on main screen Shower head symbol with arrow.  

We had this same issue, as I had disabled hot water during storage, and it was the shower/hot water symbol on day or nigh use pressed to deactivate the Alde hot water setting.  This is of course over ridden if you have night time heating active, anytime the Alde is heating the cabin, you will have hot water, even if shower hot water symbol is off.  

See: https://en.alde.se/news/alde-control-panel-night-mode/?_gl=1*1us7yo7*_ga*NTY2NjI2NjIuMTY1ODk1ODU3OQ..*_ga_LELLFLWTSD*MTY1ODk1ODU3OS4xLjAuMTY1ODk1ODU3OS4w  

And: https://www.alde.us/news/alde-control-panel-3020-he-settings-menu/. 

Cheers 

manyman297

@Denny16 is onto something. While it is hard to stumble into those schedule settings it could happen and is probably what your issue is. If you’ve never dig deep into the Alde panel there’s a lot there that most of us have never messed with.